Audio from Motiv video file is offset wrong in Davinci Resolve

Question

I am using an iPhone (iOS 14.6), Shure Motive Video (1.5.0.229) and Davinci Resolve (Mac, 17.2 Build 11) to capture video. When I play back the video file in Quicktime (Version 10.5 (1086.4.2)), the audio and video are in sync, but when I drop it into Davinci Resolve, the video is several seconds ahead of the audio, despite the audio and video timelines looking like they are in sync.

The video file in question is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1adRm1rZRs-GKwFfnsw3YE9pMc8xVmIBM/view?usp=sharing

Strangely, if I open the file in Quicktime and export it as "4k", the offset problem goes away and empty audio is inserted at the beginning of the audio timeline, but this means I have to pre-export every source video file.

Is there a way to fix the audio sync problem without opening and exporting from Quicktime?

Answer 1

In the system settings->user tab->UI Settings, check the “delay viewer by x frames” box, and progressively raise the number of frames until the audio and video match.

Sometimes, external audio processing can cause delays which bring the audio out of sync. Running your sound through a Dolby sound system is one example; a high latency plugin would be another. I’ve used “normal” computer speakers which introduced significant delay. If other audio isn’t delayed, then it’s probably the extra overhead incurred by Fairlight overburdening your sound card. The “delay video by x fames” feature is built for such occasions.

Sometimes the external delay isn’t consistent, though. This is often the case with Bluetooth devices. Delaying the video by a consistent amount will never completely eliminate sync mismatch in these cases, and it’s therefore best to eliminate the source of the delay, if possible, i.e., never edit with Bluetooth headphones.